I \ \ i mo s. 1997 »T m P ortland O bserver
P age A4
// d
Here’s my yearly “Good Reading lis
by
P rof . M c K inley B ert
You n eed n ’t alw ays "bew are o f
G reeks bearing gifts as the old
saying goes. Not only did 1 take a
different route out o f ‘E d en ’, but 1
have it on very good authority
(hearsay, w hat else?) that most o f
the books and tapes 1 recom m ended
last year proved to be m ost useful
or enjoyable.
I am well aware o f the glut of
alleged information that daily be­
sieges our ears, our mail box, the fax
machine, or e-mail.
Overwhelming our ability to com­
prehend it, let alone classify this
flood. These citations should pro­
orne
vide in a number o f categories some
basic (standard) frames-of-reference
as an aid in dealing with the media on
slaught (if the "medium is indeed the
message”, it is getting lost in elec­
tronic translation).
The first group was obtained from
the ‘mail order division o f Barnes
and Noble” catalog house, not from
the store. This is a direct-mail dis­
count house with substantially lower
prices than retail stores. In case they
are out o f stock, 1 also have given the
author and date o f publication tor
each book so that you may obtain the
item at your regular bookstore.
Barnes & Noble, 1 pound Rd.,
Rockleigh, N.J. 07647 (800) 242-
6 6657
6 5 7 forcom
putercheckofinvento-
for computer
check o f invento­
.
ry-catalog “ Principles o f Money
Banking and Financial M arkets”,
“ Songs o f My People”, 209 pp.
#A137481, $7.98 (Little, Brown)
10X12 pb. photo-journalism.
* M y copy hasn I arrived yet hut
publisher is quoted "Beautiful black
and white photos from a rare assem­
blage o f black photojournalists. plus
distinguished commentaries fo r each
section: Vital Signs. The Black Male,
Boyz and Girlz in the Hood. Sisters
Stand Strong, and Whither the Black
Family ”,
“Crossing the Danger Water. 300
Years o f African American W rit­
ing” , ed. D. M ullane, 769 pp.
#A 137415,
137415, $9.98 (A
(A ncnor
nchor pb.,
#A
.nncnx
1995?).
* W E B Dubois. Ida B Wells-
Barnett. Alice Walker. Jesse Jack-
so n . Martin Luther King, J r . Malcom
A’, Zora Neale Hurston, Harriet Tub­
man. William Wells Brown, Sojourn­
er Truth, others
“Encyclopedia o f Black Folklore
& Humor”, H.D. Spalding 523 pp.,
HC, #A 129780, $12.98.
* "Demonstrates the close rela­
tionship between folklore and histo­
ry- "
7th edit, Ritter and Sibler, 644 pp.
#A 137763, $12.98 (Basic Books,
1991).
"Psychology, An Introduction ,
3rd edit, John R. Gerow, 760 pp.
~
„
Part I
#A 134046, $9.98 (Harper Collins,
1992) .
“Sociobiology, a bridged edit
E dw ard O. W ilso n . '6 6 pp.
#A 142854 [ $ ’]. (B elnap Press.
1993) .
* This is the famous book that led
to the present controversy about
"selfish genes and the real put
pose o f evolution
"TheGuinessInternational W ho's
Who Sports”, 730 pp. UN 142854,
$7.98 (Guiness, 1995).
“U nderstanding Physics , 2nd
edition, Isaac A sim ov, 750 pp.
#1539857, $9.98, 1995.
* This is a revision o f the original
3 volumes-in one edition which was
k
very compre
comprehensive, yet easily un­
very
derstood. Dorsett Press.
"A 11 istory o f PI”, Peter Beckman,
200 pp. #1606340, $6.98 (Barnes &
Noble Publishing Co.).
* A must fo r new insights into a
math function usually taken fo r grant­
ed Easy. pleasurable reading fo r all
ages.
“Sweethearts o f Swing”, 3-cd set
#('136908, $19.98.
* 11) songs each from Jazz Super-
stars Ella Fitzgerald, A Fine Ro­
mance, M oonlight in Vermont, etc..
Sara I'augn. Misty. Star Eyes, When
Your Lover is Gone. Billie Holiday,
Lover Man, Night & Day. God Bless
The Child
C IA JA F C
The Ebonics Contoversy: Questions & Answers
Given the controversy over the
Oakland school system ’s recent de­
c isio n to tra in its te a c h e rs in
“ Ebonics,” Jaxfax felt it would be
useful to reproduce part o f the ques­
tion and answer sheet put out by Ms.
Carolyn M. Getridge, Office o f the
Superintendent, O akland Unified
School District, (Emphasis added.)
“Are you recommending these
measures because other programs
haven’t worked?
"The policy affirming that every
child become proficient in Standard
American English is a result o f some
very alarming statistics presented
by the task fo rce which reviewed the
district-wide achievement data o f
African-American students The data
showed:
• low levels o f student perfor­
mance;
• disproportionally high repre­
sentation in special ed; and,
• under-representation in A d ­
vanced Placement courses.
"The recommendation and data
from the task force, based on aca­
demic research, indicated that the
unique language pattern o f African
American students had a direct con­
nection to student achievement It
was evident that students who speak
in this la n guage p a tte rn co u ld
achieve at higher levels i f they were
proficient in Standard American
English
“Bv calling Ebonics a national
language, aren’t you detracting
from other methods that address
the academic failures o f African
American students?
"The real issue is that our chil­
dren are failing academically. Our
goal is to build on the language skills
they bring to the classroom, without
devaluing the students and their di­
versity. Our plan is to build a bridge
from the language pattern the stu­
dent brings to the classroom to stan­
dard english proficiency.
"Extensive research supports the
idea that language and learning are
directly linked. We want teachers to
a p p re c ia te a n d und ersta n d the
ebonic language pattern and avoid
stigmatizing students who use it
“Was Ebonics a word actually
used in the resolution?
it
ensure that every child . in our school
system becomes literate in writing,
speaking and reading Standard
American English
"M anypeople believe that recog-
We want teachers to recognize
and understand the language
pattern and avoid stigmatizing
students who use it.” ________
"Yes, it was used in describing the
various terms that relate to language
patterns that are spoken by many
African Americans. . . I he Oakland
Unified School District is not re­
placing the teaching o f Standard
American English with any other
language We are not teaching
Ebonics.
“Is this policy recommending
segregating students into separate
classrooms?
"Absolutely not—that is a mis­
conception. What iw do intend is to
nizing this language pattern will ac­
tually set students back.
"What we are proposing is an
education strategy fo r the 21st cen­
tury. Extensive research supports
the idea that language and learning
are directly linked. We want teach­
ers to recognize and understand the
language pattern and avoid stigma-
lizing students who use it We cannot
ignore the findings indicating that
language has a direct relationship
to achievement. By recognizing this
fa ct and putting a policy in place we
eye care. The field is growing rapid­
ly and qualified technicians enjoy an
expanding job market.
The O phthalm ic M edical T ech­
nology program is one o f six health
professions offered at the ( ascade
Cam pus. A lso, it is one ot several
PCC program s w hose graduates
have traditionally achieved supe­
rior scores on national qualifying
exam inations.
The college’s nursing, dental, di­
etetic and radiology programs are
based at the Sylvania Campus in
Southwest Portland.
the examination, which is conducted
by the Joint Commission on Allied
Health Personnel in Ophthalmology
(JCAHPO).
H arris noted that each college
whose graduates apply for national
licensure receives the exam ination
results as the average o f the com ­
bined scores for that college s ap ­
plicants, rather than as individual
scores.
Ophthalmic medical technicians
perform eye-care procedures under
the supervision o f a licensed physi­
cians and assist with direct patient
Vernon, Humboldt elementary students
receive bikes for achieving goals
z ,z ,
A dozen youngsters from Vernon
and Humboldt elementary schools
who achieved school and communi­
ty service goals received bikes, locks
and helmets at the second annual
Holiday Bike Drive Awards Satur­
day December 21 at the Community
Cycling Center, 2407 N.E. Alberta.
The students are among 80 area
youngsters from 25 schools who have
received restored bikes in the holi­
day program, according to Center
founder and director Brian Lacy.
Bikes were donated over the past
two months by the public and BFI, a
solid waste recycler and sponsor of
, t
. C
2
E
i I z
1 c* f c f t
the
bike
drive.
Students
from Port­
land ’ s N ortheast Community School,
as well as volunteers from the com­
munity, have restored and repaired
the bikes. Refreshments and fun ac­
tivities also are in store for children,
volunteers and sponsors at Saturday ’ s
bike give-away.
it
Ebonics And Black English
Continued from front
▲
I am well aware that the readers
have been saturated with informa­
tion and misinformation on the sub­
ject of “Ebonies and Black English.
The constraints of space prompt me
to address specific and salient rel­
evancies with which 1 am familiar.
Particularly, those interested in the
modern (if flawed) concept ot a
"Black English” could begin with
J.L. Dilliard, “Black English: It's
History and Usage in the United
States". Vintage Books Ed. 1973.
This book is useful for two impor­
tant reasons. First, it has an excellent
and extensive bibliography. But.
therein lies a story, a critical point
that escapes most ot the present con­
troversy-leading to our second ob­
servation. Many of the citations are
of studies based on analyses “Foun­
dation of an American Ghetto Lan­
guage" Mostly nonsense developed
by aclosed society o f expert'. many,
ethnic minorities themselves (exclud­
ing blacks), and representing a large
numberof ivy league graduate school
theses polished up for publication.
These worshippers ot the anthro-
pologist-Linguists like Sausserc and
Noah-Chomsky had tew it any real
time associations with blacks and most
‘knowledge wasderived from fellow
students of color and the omnipresent
“literature. 1 always found it extraor­
dinary that these people would always
want to dwell upon creole and gullali
dialects' found in isolated regions.
But. that they completely i( - the
beautiful language anil diction ot
blacks recorded in the Congressional
Record, state archives, anil other gov
ernmental records at the (urn of the
century (1900 and betöre).
Completely ignored were the leg­
islative bills written by Black Con
gressmen before they were ousted
from the legislatures, the pridcful
descriptions of Black inventions and
technology placed in the ( ongres-
sional Record by African American
legislator/inventors. and the pro­
nouncements ot Black, judges, sher­
iffs. custom agents, teachers and busi­
ness persons among others "Niger-
Congo African Language Systems.’
I suggest that the Rev. Jesse Jack-
son had if right the first time in Ins
evaluation ot the Oakland debacle
And I was reinforced in my judgment
by the “Today Show ot 12/31/96
when Bryan Gullible brought together
Carolyn Getridge. the African Amen
ean Oakland School Superintendent
and Prof. John McWortcr. Black
Studies Dept.. USC Berkeley Avery
flaky lady with a very flaky position
and who quickly retreats to buzz
words' and standard academic meta
phors: "recognized instructional
methodology-aware.
In conclusion I would re mat k that
surely you noticed the rather last
footwork of Lucella Harrison Presi
dent of the Oakland School Board
who first said she "knew of no plans
for Oakland schools to apply lot fed­
eral funds lor Ebonics " But in the
next breath she presumes us to be
quite stupid, "..it is likely that some
black parents would press lor mon­
ies." Didn't I tell you so Thus tar the
President and the Secretary ot Edu­
cation are saying "no way. do what
you've been paid to do. teach, not
hustle." Certainly many other dedi­
cated and committed districts in
worse slums succeed
“How do you plan to fu n d this
program ?
"O urplan is to use existing lands
in new ways. Be already has e teac It
ers who have been trained in these
strategies. Ihesc concepts will be
integrated into the Standard English
proficiency training W earenot ask
ing for extra funds to implement this
policy
“Ebonics is inner city broken En­
glish. Why not focus on teaching
the right way without bringing up
the issue o f where it comes from... ?
"What we are doing in Oakland is
providing our teachers anil parents
with the tools they need to addiess
the diverse languages our children
bring into the classroom Improper
use o f the English Language is being
sanctioned in the classroom c i i v
day by our failure to give teachers
the proper tools to address students
language needs.
Reverend Jesse Jackson had his
own phrase concerning Ebonics:
ow
Detect/redirect/correct, as a bridge
to the Standard English that every
child will need to face the 21st cen­
tury.
The first message out o f Oakland
was apparently that "Black english
was going to be taught as a second
language, which created the media
firestorm.
I lowever, Ebonics is not a lan­
guage, and is not going to be taught
in the classroom. Rather, Oakland
wants to prepare its teachers to de­
tect, redirect and correct the lan­
guage o f its children.
The central issue must not be lost
in all the fuss over speech patterns,
we must keep our focus on the
marginilization o f urban public edu­
cation, and turn heat into light.
That is why Reverend Jackson is
starting the new year by calling for a
Rainbow/PUSH Public Policy Insti­
tute “Conference on Education--
Closing the Gap,” to be held in Chi­
cago from February 23-25.
Reading, ‘Riting & Race-
PCC grads take top scores
The 1996 graduates o f the Port­
land Com m unity C ollege’s O ph­
thalmic M edical Technology pro­
gram who sat for national licensure
exam inations this fall scored higher
overall than graduates o f all other
p ro g ram s in the nation, reports
Joanne Harris, a faculty member.
The pass rate for graduates o f the
PCC Cascade Campus program has
continued to increase for the third
straight year, H am s said. Sixteen
graduates sat for the exam; 14 passed.
PCC graduates achieved top scores
in
areas ui
of
in seven o t f the 12
lz content
conieni aica»
zvi.i indeed
iiu tc c il c change
h a u v i the
tlic outcome
outconu Jot
lo i
can
students
Grading America’s Education System
Education is the one thing ev­
eryone should receive equally, but
is the system making the grade,
...or failing for black students”?
Sharon Robinson (Assistant Secre­
tary, U.S. Dept. o f Education) and
Horace Cooper (Project 21) join
anchor James Brown and com m en­
tators Julian Bond and Armstrong
Williams address the very strong
topic o f “ R eading, R iting &
R ace"... is the education system the
one that needs the grade? Ameri­
c a ’s Black Forum (ABF), the na­
tionally syndicated television show
examines—
When it comes to graduation rates,
enrollment in higher education and
scores on basic skills tests, blacks are
still in the back o f the class.
With increasing competition for
jobs and the importance of math and
literacy skills m the workplace, what
is the future for blacks? After decades
o f busing and multicultural cun icula,
is there a need to re-think priorities?
Guests and commentators offer
different perspectives on national de­
bates ovei the issues of education
vouchers.. .private schools versus tra­
ditional public education .. theback-
to-basics movement and prayer in
schools.
Secretary Robinson points out that
studies show that the bes, way to
eliminate violence and other prob­
lems in schools is to increase student
achievement. According to Secre­
tary Robinson, “ ...when students are
focused on achieving well and learn-
ing well, they have a lot less time to
become involved in things... that
will distract them from educational
opportunities." As background,
ABF looks at two inner-city school
systems... W ashington, D.C. and
Chicago.
America’s Black forum is a half-
hour weekly television program
seen on 67 television stations na-
tionwide. Please check local list­
ings for airtime and station. This
season, broadcaster James Brown
and syndicated columnist Juan W il­
liams serve as alternating anchors.
Together with commentators Julian
B ond, D e b o ra h M a th is and
Armstrong Williams, they bring
fresh and decidedly “different” per­
spectives to current top issues.
College credit classes offered at community schools
v
“
Mt. Hood Com m unity College
w ill offer several new evening credit
classes at three community schools
beginning in January. Classes will
be held at Centennial High School,
Alice Ot, Middle School and Sandy
High School Regular tuition rates
apply, however, the courses are free
to MHCC District residents age 62
and over.
Centennial High School, 3505
S.E. 182nd St. in Gresham, will host
“ P rin c ip le s
o f A c c o u n tin g
(B A 2311) on M ondays, 6-10 p.m.;
and “ C h ild r e n ’s L ite r a tu r e ”
(ENG221) on W ednesdays, 6:30-
9:30 p.m. For more information call
Diane Crane at 661-7612.
Alice Oft Middle School, 12500
S.E. Ramona St. in Portland, will
host "M anagem ent Fundamentals
(BA 206) on Tuesdays, 6:30-9:30
p .m .; “ F u n d am en tals o f Public
Speaking” ( S P l l l ) on M ondays,
6:30-9:30 p.m.; and “History o f O r­
egon” (HST240) on W ednesdays,
6:30-9:30 p.m. For more informa­
tion call Dick St. Claire at 256-6510.
Sandy High School, 17100 Bluff
Road in Sandy, will host “Basic
Speech Communication” (S P 100) on
T uesdays, 6:30-9:30 “ Beginning
Spanish Conversation" (SPA N 111)
on W ednesdays 6:30-9:30 p.m.;
“Psychology o f Human Relations"
(PS Y 101) on Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30
p.m .; “Firs, Aid: R esponding to
___ I
I
Emergencies” (HE252)
on
I uesdays,
6:30-9:30 p.m .; “ Introduction to
Your PC" (CS125PC) on Tuesdays
or Thursdays, 6-10 p.m.: and “Be­
ginning Windows (CSX 30W ) on
Tuesdays or lhursdays, 6-10 p.m.
fo rm a ation
tio n Call
Je
for m ore in
inform
call Jerri
Schwartz a, 668-8011
All credits earned are transferable
to a four-year college or university
or may be applied to a degree of
certificate program at MHCC.
In l ast Comes the Egg, Bruce
1 )uffy manages the incred­
ible. I lere is an American
novel that brings into
uncanny focus the mysteries
o f life, death and lunar
weirdness ot adults—all as
seen through the X-ray eyes
o f a kid. The kid's name is
Frank Dougherty, and when
he's twelve his extravagant
mother fails him in the most
profound way possible: she
dies. In her wake, she leaves a
new T -Bird his family can',
afford and a host o f troubling
questions. Yet. perversely,
Frank feels more alive than
ever. And, in all innocence,
he tights back.
POWELL’S BOOKS
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